It's My Life
by DZ2
Summary: Response to my TMI Challenge: Harry has a secret that he's never told anyone, but when an unlikely ally brings it out of him, our favourite Gryffindor decides to continue on his path and show the world what the REAL Harry James Potter is like! Harry/Tom; Dark-Harry; Good-Severus; AD/RW/MW/GW/HG Bashing; Rated T, but may be changed later;
1. Chapter 1

It's My Life: A Harry Potter Fanfiction

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all copyright belongs to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of the chapter.

**Plot: **Response to my TMI Challenge: Harry has a secret that he's never told anyone, but when an unlikely ally brings it out of him, our favourite Gryffindor decides to continue on his path and show the world what the REAL Harry James Potter is like!

**Author's Note: **Well, ladies and gents, here it is: as you asked, I found myself unable to work on any of my others and so I chose to oblige your wishes: now, a few added hints for the story: first, this will be my second attempt to write an EVENTUAL same-gender pairing, so if you find a problem with that, then don't read it.

Second, since I feel it necessary to say it, I'm once again turning on the Golden Trio and separating Harry from them: don't like it, don't read it. Finally, and this one is the big clincher here: Harry's going to be Dark, a bit ruthless and almost leader-like, especially with a few of my favourite characters – Draco, Severus, Lucius, Sirius and Remus to name but a few – so, once again, if you don't like it, don't read it.

Get the hint? Anything you don't like in this story, don't read it: I write this for those who enjoy my work and, while I'm prepared to take the good with the bad, I don't like to see hate-mail in my reviews as it really gets me down. I can't please everyone, noted, but I can please myself and the kind words of my reviewers also pleases me and inspires me to continue. So, if you don't like it or don't agree with my writing style, then don't read it: okay, now that's done, here's the Challenge Information:

**DZ2's TMI (Take Me Instead) Challenge**

**Plot:** We all know that Harry has a bad habit of risking his neck for others, but what if he takes that self-sacrifice to the next level?

**Rules: **Harry's self-sacrifice must completely change our hero

The sacrifice must be in the name of a friend or even a family member

Somewhere in the discussion, the words '_Take Me Instead' _MUST be used

The one that Harry begs to take him must consider it before deciding to accept or - for those with evil in their hearts - decline the offer

Harry's friends must see him in a different light following the sacrifice - be it for good or for bad

**Guidelines: **Grey or Dark Harry

Dark Lord Harry

Harry joining Tom

Character Death

Time Travel

Bashing of anyone

All pairings are welcome

**Forbidden: **Harry cannot go back to the weak and naive boy after the sacrifice

Regrets - Harry becomes determined to see that his choice was for the right reasons

Second Chances - the offer is accepted or declined and then THAT'S IT!

**Other than that, feel free to let your imaginations run wild;**

**Dedications and Recommendations: **I would like to dedicate this story to EVERYONE who decided I should turn this into a full story; my recommended read for this story is _I Walk In The Shadows_ by StormyFireDragon and _Rise of the Dark Angel_ by mykkila09: both are amazing stories and have helped inspire my work on;

Eventual Harry/Tom

Other Pairings TBC

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Mind Speak_'

/_Parseltongue_/

Chapter 1: Harry's Choice

Harry didn't know what to do:

Standing alone in the Chamber of Secrets over Ginny's nearly-dead body, his eyes fixed on the figure that stood with him, the apparent-ghost of Tom Riddle from fifty years back, he only felt a sense of…of being trapped. He'd been told that Ginny was the one to open the Chamber of Secrets and release the Basilisk on the Muggleborns and Filch's cat; Ginny who'd written the messages on the walls and faked her own disappearance.

And yet, for all that he tried to do to make sense of it all, Harry just had one question, "Why?"

"Because I told her to," Tom boasted, his eyes as cold as stone as he looked at Harry, "You'll find that I can be _very_ persuasive…"

He seemed to chuckle as he glanced down at Ginny before he added, "Not that she knew what she was doing, mind you; she was…well, shall we say in a sort of…trance? But still the power of the diary began to scare her and she tried to dispose of it in a girl's bathroom and then who should find it…but _you?_ The very person I was most anxious to meet."

He seemed to be almost amused with the idea and, as the two looked at one another, Harry found himself only able to ask, "But why did you want to meet me?"

"I knew that I had to talk to you," Tom answered, the words surprising Harry as he added, "Meet you if I could…"

"What for?" asked Harry, Tom closing his mouth as he seemed to want to say something else after that, "I was before your time and you consider Ginny's scribbles to be about me? What's so interesting about that?"

"What isn't?" asked Tom, almost incredulously as he laughed at Harry's confusion, "Everything about you screams interest: you…a mere half-blood student much like myself, who can speak Salazar Slytherin's ancient tongue without needing any assistance. You who flies through the air like you _belong_ there and you who chooses, time and time again, to defy fate and destiny just because you can. How could I not be interested in meeting such a…unique person?"

For a moment, neither student said anything, though Harry looked once again to Ginny's body before he asked, "Did you…"

"Sorry?" asked Tom, turning his head with a sense of confusion: this was working to his plan for the girl, but he hadn't expected such an inquisitive side of the boy in front of him.

"Did you make her take the diary back?" asked Harry, looking up at Tom as he added, "She stole it from my dorm and ransacked the place: I knew it had to be a Gryffindor and even afterwards, she tries to warn me of this. But why would she…unless you told her to do it?"

"Actually," Tom answered, folding his arms as he looked down at Ginny, "I didn't tell her to take my diary back: I had all the strength I needed to commune with you, Harry: to learn about you straight from your own heart. And, though we only spoke once and I showed you one memory, I have to confess, I find myself…intrigued once again."

"What for?"

"Because you can hide it as much as you want," Tom remarked, looking over to Harry before he gave a smug grin as he added, "But I see it in you, Harry: you and I, we're not so different. Oh yes, there's the fact that you're a Gryffindor and I'm a Slytherin, but other than that, there really isn't that big of a difference between us. We were both raised in places where we are forsaken and ignored because it is us who hold the power; we were both looked over for potential and known for other things and, much like you, Harry, I too learned how to hide my true self from those whom I found unworthy to see it."

"What?"

Tom laughed at Harry's inquiring glance, his hand gesturing to the entrance to the Chamber as he explained, "It's all right, Harry: you don't have to hide it with me. There's no-one here but us and the young Weasley girl: you don't have to hide it…you can show off."

"Tom," Harry laughed, "I have no…"

His words were cut off when Tom reached over and, much to Harry's shock, he brushed his fingers tenderly against Harry's cheek, his face now holding a smile as he whispered softly, "Please, Harry: show it to me…I promise I won't tell a soul: and if you do, I'll give you back your wand too…just show it to me."

Harry felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked to Tom's cold glare, his own eyes filled with awe and wonder that, for the first time, he didn't shy away from.

Looking once again to Ginny, the Gryffindor Golden Boy heaved a sigh before he straightened his posture, brushed down his robe and, holding out his hand, he asked in a much cooler tone than before, "Are you going to give me back my wand now, Riddle? Or do I have to _take_ it from you?"

"Hello, Harry Potter," Tom laughed, his hand extended as he did indeed give Harry his wand back, "It's nice to meet you at long last…now tell me, what are you _really_ doing down here?"

"Apparently," Harry answered, twirling his wand in his fingers as he looked from Ginny to Tom before he drawled, "Playing a game of Let's Pretend that I seem to have lost against you: but tell me, cause I'm curious…how did you know?"

"The eyes are the windows to the soul," Tom replied, indicating Harry's eyes with his fingers as he added, "And yours remind me so much of my own back when I was actually flesh and blood. So full of hatred, scorn and inner power that you _choose_, for some crazy reason, to hide from these foolish wizards and show them instead this…naïve little boy."

"Your point?"

"No point," Tom shrugged, applauding Harry as he confessed, "I'm more impressed than surprised: Salazar himself couldn't have pulled off a better move, but I have to ask, Harry: if you have all this potential, then why do you hide it behind a Gryffindor's façade?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Harry, an amused laugh escaping him as he nudged Ginny's still unconscious body with his foot, "What other choice do I have? Raised by Muggles that couldn't stand it when I was better than their dust-bunny-brained spawn and then thrown into an awkward situation with a Muggleborn who thinks she's God's gift to Hogwarts' library and a git that probably couldn't wipe his own ass without help. Therefore, I have no choice but to be the lesser and greater of two evils: because if they saw the real me…well, it wouldn't be pretty."

"That's funny," Tom mused, before he shook his head with a brazen smirk on his face as he added, "But it's not the truth, Harry: like I said, we're the only ones here…so tell me, why are you hiding? Why play the role of the idiot when you could be the greatest wizard of your generation? You who vanquished Lord Voldemort with little more than dirty nappies and hardly any magical skill? Why hide that potential?"

"Why would you care?" asked Harry, his left eyebrow raised with curiosity as he asked, "What does it matter how my potential was revealed? And what does Voldemort have to do with any of this? He was after your time."

"Oh, really?" asked Tom, holding his hand out before he asked, "May I?"

Handing his wand to the boy, Harry watched as Tom began carving several letters into the air, spelling out three distinct words:

_TOM…MARVOLO…RIDDLE_

Turning to face Harry, who was eyeing the spelling and look of Tom's full name with interest, the Slytherin apparition smirked before he told Harry, "Like I said, Harry: everything about you screams interest…for you see, Voldemort _is_ my past…present…and future."

Then, with another swish of his wand, Tom's name was rearranged, the three words of his name becoming a four-word statement that had Harry's eyes wide with shock and disbelief:

_I…AM…LORD…VOLDEMORT_

"You?" asked Harry, though his shock was surprisingly masked by a look of interest as he added, "You're the Heir of Slytherin? Voldemort…"

"Surely you didn't actually think that I'd keep my filthy Muggle Father's name?" asked Tom/Voldemort with an air of coldness that struck a chord with Harry as he added, "No: I would fashion myself a new name; a name that wizards everywhere would fear to speak when I became the greatest Sorcerer in the world!"

"I'd have to agree about the fear part," Harry mused, still hiding shock rather well as he added, "But, be you Tom _or_ Voldemort, I still don't get what you want with me: besides, you're not the greatest sorcerer in the world…"

"Let me guess," laughed Tom, "Dumbledore is?"

"No," Harry replied, shaking his head with a look of clarity to him that seemed to reach Tom: something had changed in Harry and it was all because his mask had fallen…but what was it?

"Then who is?"

"I am," Harry answered simply, looking to Ginny before he glanced to the Chamber's entrance as he added, "I guess there's no point in hiding it, Tom: after all, as you said, I defeated you with little more effort than my dirty nappies and survived. I speak Slytherin's tongue and have called on incredible feats of magic when I needed them. But, as I said, I had to hide because I knew they'd never accept me as who I really am."

"Oh?" asked Tom, actually interested as he added, "Why is that?"

"Because you _are_ a Slytherin," Harry replied, his voice still as cool-toned as ever, "But while I'm a Gryffindor, I was _nearly_ a Slytherin: the Sorting Hat was very eager to put me there, but my will overpowered it."

"And yet here you stand," Tom reasoned, "The perfect Slytherin."

With a rue shrug, Harry explained, "I prefer to think of myself as the Snake in Lion's clothing: working with these one-track-minded idiots is _really_ depressing and, besides Tom, do you _actually_ think I'd defend Muggleborns after what their non-magical counterparts put me through? I was treated worse than an animal for over ten years: there were bars on my windows just last summer for Slytherin's sake!"

Tom couldn't believe the look of rage that filled the eyes of his enemy and destroyer as he listened to Harry speak: every word was perfectly spoken and, when he seethed and hissed out the names of those he hated, Harry's eyes actually seemed to glow…almost like his knowledge and his true persona weren't the only things he'd held back from the world.

"I wasn't even allowed to _know_ I was a wizard until Hagrid chose to tell me," Harry exclaimed, before a sly grin crossed his face as he indicated Tom before he added, "Nice work on the frame job, by the way. No-one would suspect a Prefect…though I suspect Dumbledore kept a close eye on you."

"Yes," Tom answered, stunned by the hostility and fire that was spat from Harry's mouth with each word: it was like listening to…well, to himself.

"And now he runs away and expects me to play the part," Harry laughed, shaking his head as he explained, "And not for the first time either, I might add: first with that accursed Stone and now a Chamber that was opened fifty years ago and he _conveniently _forgets about that. He expects me to be the hero that _they_ want me to be? To run headlong into danger without even considering the consequences of my actions? No, Tom: I know that, to come down here, I have to try and stop you…but, between you and me…I don't want to."

"There's a surprise," Tom laughed, earning a hum of contentment from Harry.

"However…" Harry then added, his eyebrow once again raised in a look of thought that, for a Gryffindor, actually looked good on him…or so Tom thought. He was also aware of a calculating look that crossed the boy's face as he seemed to consider an option that wasn't really there.

"However?"

"Hm?" asked Harry.

"You said however," Tom replied, "However what, Harry?"

"Nothing," Harry remarked, clearing his throat as he added, "I was just thinking that you haven't asked me the big question; I mean, here I am and here we stand, but you haven't asked me the big question yet, Tom…so go ahead: I'll answer it."

"All right," Tom nodded, while his eyes watched Harry as he sensed an ulterior motive, but, for now, he knew just the question he wanted to ask, "Why do you show your mask to me and choose to come down here now?"

"And there it is," Harry answered, heaving a sigh as he asked, "This stays between us, doesn't it?"

"Of course."

"In that case," Harry reasoned, looking to Tom with a look of amusement as he admitted, "I let my mask fall…here…with you…Voldemort, _especially_ now because…I realised something earlier this year."

"And what is that?"

"You were right," Harry answered, sighing as he looked again to the entrance, "Last year, when we last met one another…if you're even the same Voldemort I met then…"

"Yes," Tom answered, surprising Harry before he continued, "She seemed rather eager to describe _that_ encounter to me, Harry: the truth of my existence is one you may not believe, but, for now, I think it's safe to say I am and I'm not that man you encountered."

"That's…interesting," Harry mused, before he waved his hand as though to dismiss Tom's comment, "But anyway, last year, you…the _other_ you, told me that I didn't have to be a fool and suffer when, well, to be quick about it, when we could work together…and do great things."

"Sounds like something I'd say," Tom laughed, returning Harry's wand to him as he asked, "But what are you getting at, Harry? Why this confession? Does this have something to do with your _however_ comment from earlier?"

"In a way."

"Why?"

"Because," Harry answered, once again nudging Ginny with his foot as he added, "If I save her, then I'm a big hero or I wind up dead and you come back: either way, they don't get the chance to know the real me. But…what if, instead of trying to stop you, I give you something better?"

"Like what?"

"What else?" asked Harry, pocketing his wand before he spread his arms wide and exclaimed, "Me!"

"Huh?"

"It's simple," Harry replied, his tone filled with a sense of clarity as he looked to the Dark Lord, "_You_ need energy and life to come back, but you come back and they'll be on you like vultures on a carcass: however, if you could _hide_…be somewhere they wouldn't suspect…with a willing advocate who's grown tired of the game of Let's Pretend…then…who knows?"

"And you'd do this?" asked Tom, actually in disbelief as he asked, "You'd give yourself to me? And what happens to her?"

"She doesn't have to die," Harry mused, "Leave her comatose or let me wipe her memories or whatever: however, her weak energy is nothing, Tom, when it's compared to the power and energy of the one who destroyed you in the first place. You offered me a place at your side once before: well, now, I'm accepting it: our time down here has shown me a side that, quite frankly, I'm enjoying being able to show again. So, if you help me show them my true self, then, in return for your help and any learning you can give me, you can have my body as your host or vessel or whatever: in other words…"

He stepped over Ginny and in front of Tom, both their eyes looking deep into the other's as Harry told Tom the long-story-short, "Let Ginny go…one way or another…and take me instead; let _me_ help you come back, Tom…and together, we can show the world what two half-bloods can _really_ do."

Tom's shock lasted for only a few moments before his cold laughter rang through the Chamber's dark and cold interior as he considered the pros and cons of the plan as well as the impossibility of what he was hearing: Harry Potter, better known to the world as the Golden Prince of Gryffindor, his destroyer, his hated enemy and _numero uno_ on his list of people to kill: that same Harry was now here, offering himself – mind, body and soul – to _aid_ Tom with his return as the Dark Lord.

Though he didn't know it, Tom found himself repeating Harry's question from earlier, "Why?"

"Pardon?" asked Harry, still twirling his wand between his fingers as he looked to Tom.

"Why are you offering me this?" asked Tom, his voice edged with a sense of curiosity as he also noticed that Harry wasn't in too much of a rush to save the Weasley girl. "Think about what you're saying, Harry: after all, younger or not, I'm still the man that killed your parents and…"

"I was barely eighteen months old," Harry interrupted, his voice hardened by determination as he explained, "What do I have to do for them, Tom? They're dead! You…the other you…whoever that was and whatever the difference between you two really is…he said to me that we would work together to bring them back, but what would that accomplish? It'd lead to me being the one responsible for a dark age, I agree, but it'd also be a case of having them tell me how _disappointed_ they are in me and how _they no longer call me their son_ or whatever crap they think I'd have to hear to redeem myself. Why consider avenging memories that I don't have and a life I never even knew? After all, it's not _their_ lives that I'm living, Tom: it's mine."

"Okay…" Tom muttered, actually looking confused for a moment as he asked, "But still, why would you want this, Harry? After all, you realise that if I accept this, there'll be no going back…"

"I know."

"You'd have to devote yourself to the Dark Arts and to your Slytherin self…"

"I know."

"You'd have to reveal your dislike and hatred for…"

"Tom!" Harry cut in, actually grabbing the boy by the shoulders, which surprised Tom since he actually believed he was still slightly ghostly: at the same time, a sense of…closeness touched him that seemed to creep out from Harry. While he tried to figure it out, Harry continued, "I _know_ everything that I'd have to do: that's why I let slip with that however comment earlier. For the past few months and more, I've had to pretend to be someone, some_thing_ I'm not and I hate it! As for having to turn on them, I believe I told you what I think of my two hangers on and their beliefs about me already."

"You did," Tom agreed, "But what do you mean by having to pretend for a few months? Just when did you start to consider this, Harry?"

"Well," Harry answered, "_If _we're being honest here, I suppose it was actually before I met your _other _self just last year: you see, Tom, I've been at Hogwarts for two years now and in that time, the only way anyone has anything to say about me is being that I'm _just like Lily_ or _having James proud of me_ or, in the case of one person, _just as reckless and arrogant as my Father._ And, to be honest, I'm sick of it: all I've heard is that I _look_ like Dad with Mum's eyes: no-one sees the real me. Even that stupid girl can't help but decide to act like I'm some dragon-sized cat with her as a little mouse and run away."

Tom wanted to interrupt, but the way that Harry was speaking actually reminded the spirit of what he'd endured when he was Harry's age: so, instead, he remained still and tried to find an explanation for how Harry could actually touch him and why he felt that closeness to the raven-haired Lion.

Harry, letting go of Tom, turned on his heel and, glaring at the statue of Slytherin, he continued, "Then, to make things worse, I _finally_ discover something that's my own in being a Parseltongue and what happens? They see me as the next Dark Lord and ostracize me: my own so-called friends can't even look me in the eye. So, yes, Tom, I _know_ what I'd have to do and, if you accept me, I'll do it…I'll do _anything_ to prove that I'm more than a name and a mentioned comparison to two _dead_ people: and if I have to embrace the Dark to do it, then so be it!"

"Harry…" Tom whispered, looking to Ginny's body before he looked back to Harry, a part of him feeling that connection he'd mentioned with the boy rise again. Taking a deep breath, Tom asked, "You know who I am, Harry: I am Voldemort as well as Tom Riddle and, if we do this, I would expect your full co-operation and, with your assistance and willing aid, I will be sure to reward your loyalty and devotion to me. Unlike the girl, if we do this, I won't possess you, but I _will_ become part of you…just like I was part of the diary's magic."

Even as he said it, Tom found a theory coming to mind as he considered his dilemma: shaking it off – as it was pretty impossible to consider – the Dark Lord continued. "As a part of you, I will teach you the Dark Arts and spells, potions and other such magical abilities that the weak-minded fools of the Light will not want you to learn. I'm afraid that such teachings and such a bond would also likely change your personality, Harry, so you'd have to let go of the Gryffindor and reveal your true self to the world."

"Still waiting for the downsides here, Tom," Harry reasoned, Tom then noticing that his hands were shaking: just how much repressed emotion and rage had Harry kept inside with these thoughts?

Keeping his shock hidden, Tom then explained, "As I told you, Harry, there's no going back once we do this: I will not let you change your mind."

"Do I _look_ like I'm changing my mind?" asked Harry, facing Tom with green-eyed fury as he added, "I told you, Tom: I'm doing this willingly; I'm don't fear the Dark…hell, I was _born_ in it, moulded by it: the dark didn't frighten me as much as the things in the light did. Darkness was my sanctuary, my solitude: so, go on, Tom: you want to _show_ me the darkness…then show me: do it! I willingly give myself to you: make me who I could have been, _should _have been after that day one year ago…I'm not afraid."

Tom couldn't help but laugh again as he looked Harry in the eye before he told him, "You know, I've been thinking it all this time, Harry Potter, but now I see it: you _definitely_ remind me of me when I was your age."

"In what way?"

"One part brave," Tom remarked, moving close to Harry while he also held out his hands to the boy, "Three parts fool: but the fool became a Lord and, with your help, this Lord can be so much more. I tried to get you to consider your choice, but I see that same determined foolishness in your eyes that I had when I first discovered the Dark. So, since I guess there really is _no_ changing your mind, what other choice do I have?"

"You…you mean?" asked Harry.

"Yes," Tom answered, watching as Harry lifted his hand and held it out to the Dark Lord, "Accept me and my power, Harry Potter…and give me yours in return."

"As you command," Harry replied, the feel of Tom's hands in his own feeling like an intense cold that proceeded to run through his veins, but not before Harry got out his last words as he was returned to the world in which he was born to;

The world of the Dark;

"My Lord…"

_**It's My Life**_

"…how could he do it?"

"It wasn't Harry's fault, Ronald; he was just too late."

"But she's not waking up: why didn't he help her?"

"Shush," Hermione Granger's voice cut through the haze and the blackness that Harry felt, his head feeling a little fuzzy while his body also felt slightly worn out. However, he could still hear the two arguing…like they ever did anything else, "He's still asleep: and he's your friend, Ronald!"

"And he can hear you," Harry muttered, opening his eyes to the blinding lights of the Hospital Wing as well as a familiar almost-crushing embrace as Hermione, now fully recovered, wrapped her arms around him and helped him sit up.

This time, however, Harry only felt disgust as he looked to the two of them, Ron now watching him with a look of disgrace that was edged by red eyes, which showed he'd been crying.

Feigning his ignorance, which had become a strength of his in keeping his mask hidden, Harry asked, "What…what happened?"

"That's what we were hoping _you_ could tell us," Ron scowled, the iciness in his voice making Harry laugh to himself: so this was Ron's true side and not that Quidditch-obsessed freak of nature that chose to call himself the Boy-Who-Lived's best mate? Personally, Harry liked this side of Ron better: at least the black-hole-appetite-bearing imbecile was actually being sincere now.

Still feigning his ignorance, Harry put on as best a smile as he could before he asked, "How…how long have you been back, Hermione?"

"Since last night," Hermione answered, looking Harry over as she explained, "It was…it was weird, Harry: I didn't know where I was, but then you and Ron were there and you helped me and Professor Dumbledore's back and you two appeared with some sort of beautiful bird creature and…"

"You _do_ remember how to breathe, don't you, Hermione?" asked Harry, smirking at the looks of shock from Ron and Hermione as he added, "Now, since I'm not telepathic, how about you tell me what you've been moaning about this time, Ronald?"

"Who says I've been moaning?" challenged Ron, but Harry just dismissed the question as he looked around the Wing, then noticing the rest of the Weasley Family gathered around a bed in the furthest corner, the sight of Charlie Weasley as well as a tanned young man that he assumed was Bill telling Harry that this was serious.

"Is…" he asked, wanting to present himself an award for his acting, "Is Ginny…"

"She's alive," Ron scowled, "But she's in some sort of magical coma: none of the healers know what's wrong with her, but she just won't wake up: so, are you going to fill in the blanks, then, Harry? Why didn't you make sure you brought her back alive? What the bloody hell happened in that Chamber?"

While Hermione chastised Ron for his language, Harry shrugged before he told him, "Your guess is as good as mine: it's…it feels like a real blur, but I remember the second entrance being opened and then…something about the Basilisk and it's true controller…then this weird magical flash and…I woke up here."

For a moment, Harry thought he heard an amused chuckle reverberate through his mind, but he put it off – as he _knew_ who and what it was – as he asked, "Wait, did you say that the Headmaster's back?"

"Yes," Ron insisted, Hermione also nodding while Harry did his best to keep the scowl off his face, "And, though I don't really know what he wants, but he asked to see you as soon as you woke up. Oh, and Lockhart's also gone to the cuckoo's nest because of his reversed spell, so exams have been cancelled and so have our Defence lessons."

"In that case," Harry sniffed, pulling the covers off his body before he closed his bed-curtains and, without needing to do much to change, he added, "I suppose I'd better go and keep my appointment with the Headmaster."

"Harry," Hermione called over, her voice actually grating Harry's nerves as she told him, "It's not your fault."

"Who says it was?" asked Harry, feeling a hint of amusement at the attempted guilt-trip tactics by the walking bibliophile.

As he finished getting dressed into his robes, Harry heaved a sigh before he pulled his wand from his pocket and, stepping away from the other two, he walked out of the Hospital Wing, pausing only once to allow a smile to cross his face as he felt a sense of difference in the air about him.

And he also knew why;

"Are you there?"

For a moment, there was silence, then…

'_Yes, Harry: I am here…and kudos to you on your acting skills._'

"Thank you, my Lord."

'_Harry,_' Tom's voice replied, his tone suggesting amusement while Harry also felt a sense of strength pass from the Dark Lord's essence into him: something was different. Nevertheless, he listened as Tom explained, '_Perhaps you should speak with your mind and not your mouth: also, as the first of many rewards for your loyalty, I allow you to use my _real_ name when we're not talking with others. I told you that I wouldn't possess you and, therefore, you are not my prisoner: think yourself more…my willing, eager and loyal apprentice._'

Calming his mind, Harry tried to voice his thoughts as he muttered mentally, '_Thank you…Lord Voldemort._'

'_I believe I said you could use my _real_ name, Harry,_' Tom laughed, the Knut dropping for Harry as he made his way to Dumbledore's office;

'_Thank you…Tom._'

'_You are most welcome, Harry; now, don't we have an appointment to keep?_'

**And there we go: as you asked, I have delivered: Chapter 1 of my latest 'taster' turned into a full story: a big thanks to everyone that insisted I make it so;**

**Anyway, with a willing partnership now forged, what shocks and trials await our Dark Hero as he makes his life his own once more?**

**Plus, what is the 'closeness' Tom felt that allowed Harry to actually touch him and get through to him?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Tom gets a little surprise from his apprentice as Harry confronts the one behind the Chamber and the dark duo also meet with Dumbledore, but there's questions that Harry feels need answering; plus, Harry and Tom make plans for the young wizard's learning and Tom explains about his bond with his apprentice/host;**

**Please Read and Review**

**AN: The title of this story is changed because I felt it needed something…a bit catchier to highlight what it's about: I got the idea courtesy of Bon Jovi's song of the same name: all copyright to the original creators;**

**AN 2: Any inquiries about the challenge can be made in my forums and I hope someone else decides to have a go at it: in the meantime, enjoy;**


	2. Chapter 2

It's My Life: A Harry Potter Fanfiction

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Author's Note: **Well, ladies and gents, here it is: as you asked, I found myself unable to work on any of my others and so I chose to oblige your wishes: now, a few added hints for the story: first, this will be my second attempt to write an EVENTUAL same-gender pairing, so if you find a problem with that, then don't read it.

Second, since I feel it necessary to say it, I'm once again turning on the Golden Trio and separating Harry from them: don't like it, don't read it. Finally, and this one is the big clincher here: Harry's going to be Dark, a bit ruthless and almost leader-like, especially with a few of my favourite characters – Draco, Severus, Lucius, Sirius and Remus to name but a few – so, once again, if you don't like it, don't read it. Get the hint? Anything you don't like in this story, don't read it:

**Dedications and Recommendations: **I would like to dedicate this story to EVERYONE who decided I should turn this into a full story; my recommended read for this story is _I Walk In The Shadows_ by StormyFireDragon and _Rise of the Dark Angel_ by mykkila09: both are amazing stories and have helped inspire my work on;

Eventual Harry/Tom

Other Pairings TBC

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Mind Speak_'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**AquilaPallas129: Excessive? I'm not so sure, but some of our usual heroes – Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore and MAYBE a few others – will be against Harry, so there's one side;**

**Emmi: It's actually my first attempt at one, so I hope you enjoy it;**

**StormyFireDragon: I tried to make it fit to the challenge, Storm, but, at the same time, keep the enjoyment factor that my readers love;**

**Amylou11987: Ginny's going to be out of it for some time, but as for Draco and Snape, let's just say that they're in for a surprise;**

_He stepped over Ginny and in front of Tom, both their eyes looking deep into the other's as Harry told Tom the long-story-short, "Let Ginny go…one way or another…and take me instead; let me help you come back, Tom…and together, we can show the world what two half-bloods can really do."_

Chapter 2: Harry's Slytherin Side

When Harry reached Dumbledore's office, he pulled on the collar of his robe with a sense of worry and angst before he opened his bond with his mentor and asked, '_Tom, how do I convince Dumbledore about the truth? I mean, I can't get Granger's little hint about the beautiful bird out of my head…it's like he _planned_ it somehow._'

'_Just do the best you can with what you have, Harry,_' Tom replied, though Harry could feel a sense of hidden agenda from the spirit inside him as the Dark Lord continued, '_Once we're done here, I'll fill in the blanks as there is a part of the story you're unaware of: bonding with you gave me no other way to keep our secret._'

Realising that he didn't really have a choice, but to agree with Tom's reasoning, Harry spoke the password to the stone gargoyle and climbed the stairs, stopping only short of the door to Dumbledore's office when he felt a different emotion creep into his body. It wasn't dread, but it was a negative emotion that, try as he might, Harry felt was being directed towards Tom and everything he'd just said.

Shaking it off, he entered the office to the sight of Dumbledore, seated once more in his golden throne, his elbows resting on the table as he looked at Harry over the top of his fingers. In one corner of the room, Fawkes the Phoenix chirruped with an air of soothing emotion as he saw the raven-haired wizard while, behind Dumbledore, the Sorting Hat watched him with a sense of anticipation.

It was almost like both sentient beings _knew_ what Harry had done, but Harry tried not to think about it as he faced the Headmaster as he asked, "I heard you wished to see me, Professor Dumbledore?"

'_Avoid looking him in the eye,_' Tom warned Harry as Dumbledore sat up straight in his chair, '_He uses mild Legilimency to read your mind; oh, and don't accept his lemon drops: they're laced with Compulsive Potions that force you to trust him._'

Taking both instructions into consideration, Harry listened as Dumbledore explained, "That's correct, Harry: I must say that I am relieved to see you well, my boy: may I offer you a lemon drop?"

"No, thank you, sir," Harry replied, noticing what seemed to be a look of alertness flash across Dumbledore's eyes: coming up with a quick excuse, he mused, "Never really enjoyed the taste of lemons…or Muggle sweets for that matter."

'_Nice save._'

"Ah," Dumbledore replied, a smile crossing his wizened face as he added, "Of course, dear boy: now, regarding what has happened in the Chamber, I feel I must inform you of just how and why I'm…"

His sentence was cut off before it could be finished as the door behind Harry suddenly opened and, from the other side, Lucius Malfoy walked in, a look of disgust on his face while, behind him, at his feet, was a _very_ familiar cowering House Elf.

"Dobby!" gasped Harry before he could stop himself, realisation hitting him as he asked, "So _this_ is your Master? The family that you've served is the Malfoys?"

With a fearful hum of agreement, Dobby looked to Lucius before the man scowled, "I'll deal with _you_ later…"

'_Take advantage of this,_' Tom instructed, Harry stepping aside while Lucius approached Dumbledore, '_Repeat what I say._'

"Curiously, Lucius," Dumbledore was saying as Harry listened to what Tom instructed him to say, "Several of them were under the impression that you would curse their families if they did not agree to suspend me in the first place."

"How _dare_ you!" hissed Lucius, Harry's interest peaked as he waited for the right moment.

"I beg your pardon?"

"My sole concern has always been and will always be the welfare of this school and…of course…" Lucius snatched a glance with Harry, who responded with the raised eyebrow he'd given Tom, the look actually surprising Lucius as he finished, "It's students."

'_Now, Harry,_' Tom whispered, Harry then clearing his throat as he spoke.

"Begging your pardon, Lord Malfoy," Harry remarked, using the terms and language that Tom had instructed him.

"What is it, Potter?" hissed Lucius, looking back to Harry while Dumbledore also glanced to his student.

"Given what you've just said," Harry replied, indicating Dobby as he asked, "Why is it that you allowed a member of your House staff to endanger my life and my Hogwarts career both at King's Cross Station where Muggles could bear witness to it and then with a rogue Bludger in the Quidditch game?"

"I…beg…your…pardon?" asked Lucius, each word now spoken with fire and fury while he glared at Dobby.

"Not only that," Harry continued, "But Dobby also managed to stop my mail and nearly wound up getting me suspended with a Levitation Charm in the presence of Muggles."

'_How do you know all of this, Tom?_'

'_Later, I promise,_' Tom replied, chuckling at the look on Lucius' face as he added, '_Keep it up, Harry: you're doing brilliantly: even Dumbledore is stunned into silence._'

Lucius, who was now looking as pale as his hair, glared once more to Dobby before he looked back to Harry as he asked, "Is there a point to your ramblings, Potter? The…_disloyalty_ of my staff is not associated with this meeting."

"Maybe not, sir," Harry agreed, "But your elf also told me of troubles associated with Hogwarts _and_ that history was to repeat itself, both of which were facts that certain people…" he flicked his eyes in Dumbledore's direction as he said this, "Needed to be suspended before anything happened, at which time two second-year students and a fraud were forced to act on their courage and loyalty to this school where those certain people had failed. Basically, sir, I agree that your concerns are with this school and, as suspicious as I am about Dobby belonging to the family of a boy who hates my guts and wishes me gone, I know that even you, Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, wouldn't even endanger a student's life so coldly…even if that student _is_ me."

Lucius was now surprised: everything he'd heard about Potter was changed by this little tirade, though there was also a hint of distrust there and, as the two locked eyes, Lucius suddenly gasped to himself as he realised why it was that the raised eyebrow had surprised him so much.

Because, while Potter could have learned his name from records, according to Draco, he didn't know a thing about Lordships and the like…and then there was the fact that, while Arthur's loathsome daughter _was_ safe, the diary…it wasn't anywhere in sight.

Gathering his resolve, Lucius asked, "What is it that you're asking, _Mr_ Potter?"

"I'd like you to hand Dobby to me," Harry explained, giving Lucius a subtle nod of his head that even Dumbledore didn't notice as he added, "And then, Lord Malfoy, I have…a gift for you that has nothing to do with this meeting, so we won't need to do anything with the Headmaster here."

"I would be inclined to agree," Lucius muttered, turning to Dumbledore as he added, "Welcome back, Dumbledore: that's all I need to say; let's just pray that this situation doesn't happen again and…if it does…let us hope…" he glanced to Harry with an almost icy glare as he added, "That Mr Potter will always be around to save the day."

"Don't worry," Harry replied, a part of him laughing as he wondered if Tom had suspected the man's response, "I will be…now, shall we?"

With a curt nod, Lucius turned on his heel and left the room, Harry waiting for him to vanish before he turned and added, "I don't know why you want me here, Headmaster, but, from now on, perhaps you'd care to remember the minor details so that what's happened to Ginny doesn't happen to anyone else."

"Harry…" Dumbledore exclaimed, but Harry was gone, leaving Dumbledore with a dilemma that, to be honest, he didn't like feeling:

'What _really_ happened down there?'

"Oh Albus," muttered the Sorting Hat, a cold chuckle coming from the hat as he watched the old man flounder around in a crap-storm of his own making, "If only you knew…"

_**It's My Life**_

Down the corridor from Dumbledore's office, Harry caught up with Lucius and a shivering Dobby as they moved into a private classroom: as Lucius locked the door, Harry smirked as he saw a look of hope in Dobby's eyes. The little creature was probably expecting Harry to act as the noble hero he thought that he was and save Dobby, but Harry, the _real_ Harry, had other plans for his wannabe saboteur.

Lucius, finished with his lockings and warding of the door, turned to face Harry as he remarked, "Now, Mr Potter, shall we conclude our business?"

"Yes, Lucius," Harry replied, though his voice was no longer calm and calculating: now, there was a definite hiss to his words that sounded cold and callous: add to that, as Lucius turned, his eyes widened when he saw a pair of red, snake-like eyes staring back at him, the posture of the Gryffindor Golden Boy now tall and proud, "We shall conclude our affairs: you have much to answer for."

"I…I thought as much…" Lucius gasped, before he stepped forwards and, dropping to one knee, he bowed his head as he gasped, "My Lord: you have returned…and through a new vessel."

"You fool!" snarled Harry, his Voldemort voice echoing off the walls while, deep inside his body, the spirit of Tom Riddle was laughing hysterically as he listened to his apprentice address his lesser…though how Harry knew of this side of him, Tom didn't know.

Harry, keeping in character, adopted a sibilant hiss as he asked, "Do you think Lord Voldemort so predictable that my greatest enemy becomes little more than my energy-feed source?"

"Of…of course not, my Lord," Lucius replied, his voice shaking with fear as he pleaded, "But…please, Master…please, I beg your forgiveness for my indecision: the signs were there for your return. I…I simply tried to push things along."

"Do not lie to me," Harry growled, his eyes now glowing with blood-red fire and life as he hissed, "I see the memories of my young advocate, Lucius: I _know_ of your hatred for Arthur Weasley and his ilk: you sought to disgrace them further with your actions. If Arthur Weasley was found to be linked to a possible Mudblood slaughter, then his family would be at the very bottom of the barrel for the rest of time! You think you can hide your true intentions from me, my slippery friend? You're sorely mistaken!"

"I…" Lucius gulped before he muttered, "I-I-I didn't think of how this would affect you, my Lord: the actions against the blood-traitorous family would have…have been little more than a bonus to me. My intentions were always focused on your glorious return: however, if I may ask, my Lord: if Potter is not to die to bring you back, then why…"

"Harry Potter has become one of us, Lucius," Harry exclaimed, his eyes on Dobby, who had now gone pale as he explained, "He will help bring me back to full strength and, when he does, he will be your Young Master: my dark apprentice. Until that time, my young apprentice has given me the use of his body so that I may gather my strength and ensure his loyalty to our cause. And it is here, Lucius, where you can help."

"I am at your command, Master," Lucius replied, his head still bowed as he waited for Harry to speak.

When Harry _did_ speak, it was with his own voice as he explained, "You don't deny it here, Malfoy: you are and will always be Lord Voldemort's most-devoted follower and servant, yes?"

"Yes, my Young Master."

"Then know this," Harry explained, "Lord Voldemort and I are one and the same until the time comes for him to return with a body of his own: while he waits, I _must_ learn the Dark and all it entails. You, with your connections and resources, will provide me with the materials to learn this craft and grow stronger: I'm through being the hero and walking doormat around here. It's time to show them what Salazar Slytherin's Heir can _really_ do!"

"I…I understand, Young Master."

"I'm not going to punish you for what you did to Ginny Weasley," Harry then continued, smirking as he explained, "You actually helped get a big pain in the neck out of my way and give me an opportunity to show my true self to the world. With the Dark Lord's help, I will be able to do more: for now, I want you to know that the diary, Tom Marvolo Riddle's diary, is with me and will stay there as your actions have greatly displeased my Master. You will have to do anything and everything you can to regain his favour and earn his trust once again, do you understand, _Lucius?_"

He drawled out the man's name, putting the same emphasis on each syllable that Voldemort himself did, the question and order earning him a bow from Lucius as the man answered, "I am at your command, my Young Lord."

"Then," Harry remarked, "First things first: Dobby…"

"Of course," Lucius agreed, drawing his wand and, practically walloping Dobby on the head with his wand, Lucius added, "As Lord of the Noble and Ancient House of Malfoy, I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, do hereby relinquish ownership and Master's Rights over the House Elf known as Dobby to Future Lord Harry James Potter: _he_ is your Master now, Dobby."

"Harry…Potter?" gasped Dobby, but Harry ignored the pleading look as he took charge.

"As your Master, Dobby," he explained, his voice filled with rage as he told the elf, "Here are your orders: first and _most_ importantly, you can _never_ speak of my true self or what you have heard here today. If you do, I will not hesitate to kill you: second, you don't punish yourself unless I give you the order to do so and, third and finally, you don't _ever_ jeopardise my Hogwarts life or my personal life _ever again:_ do you understand your orders, Dobby?"

"Y-Y-Yes, Master Harry," Dobby replied, bowing low as Harry then kneeled down and, lifting his elf's eyes so that they met his, a sly smile crossed Harry's face before, to Dobby's surprise, the Dark Lion suddenly winked.

"Trust me," Harry mouthed, standing tall before he turned to Lucius and, adopting his dark façade, he then explained, "Now, Lucius: I think it's about time you were going: tell no-one of what I've revealed to you. It's going to be for the best that they think of me as just another student: however, since I am now showing the world my true side, I think I could use…a new ally: someone to help me release and realise my true nature."

"Like whom, my Young Lord?" asked Lucius, watching as Harry's eyes went from green to red before Voldemort's voice hissed at the man;

"Your son…Draco."

_**It's My Life**_

When Lucius left Harry and Dobby alone, the young Gryffindor looked down at Dobby before he gave his new elf that same smile from before and, clearing his throat, he gasped out, "Merlin, I'm glad that's over!"

"What happened, Master Harry?" asked Dobby, now dressed in a skin-tight black robe with a crest that Tom had explained was likely the Potter House Crest.

"Dobby," Harry replied, "From now on, don't call me Master: only the Death Eaters do that: you can just call me Harry and, as for what you've heard, I hope you understand that I wasn't pretending when I told you that I expect you to keep my secret?"

"Yes…Harry," Dobby answered, dipping his head as Harry cleared his throat again as he continued.

"Now, I know you're confused, but what you just saw wasn't a lie, Dobby," Harry explained, kneeling down again so that he looked the little creature in the eyes, "I really have forsaken my heroic side and have chosen to join with Lord Voldemort to become a new and _real_ Harry Potter and not just some title. Today marks the first day that all that begins and, as much as it'll frighten you, Dobby, I need your help in achieving this: without the right kind of allies, the Light will destroy _me_ and then all will be lost…so, what do you say, Dobby? Will you help me?"

With a smile that looked close to sly on his own accord, Dobby bowed once more before he asked, "It is Dobby's duty to obey his Master, is it not, sir?"

"Yes," Harry drawled, seeing where the elf was going with this as he added, "I suppose it is, Dobby: all right, for now, I want you to work with the Hogwarts Elves and, if at any time you hear or suspect something that will endanger my destiny, you're to warn me immediately. Only come to me in future when I call on you and don't let anyone suspect that you're working for the next generation of Dark Lords, understand?"

"Yes, Lord Harry," Dobby bowed, snapping his fingers and changing his crested robe into a simple uniform that Harry suspected was on the Hogwarts Elves, "Dobby will be like the Scaly Ones, sir: he will sneak around and warn his Lord Harry Potter of any trouble."

"Just _don't_ try to stop me again either," Harry added, adopting a friendly tone as he added, "I'm counting on you, Dobby: if you succeed, then you'll have helped me more than anyone else has ever done…now go."

Dobby vanished with a pop and, as he rose, Harry smirked before he asked, "So…how many marks out of ten does my little performance get?"

'_Ten out of ten,_' laughed Tom, his hysteria and delight sensed by Harry as he explained, '_Harry, how did you know what to do in pretending to be me?_'

"I don't know," Harry replied, leaning against the window frame of the room he was standing in as he explained, "I just…I just knew what to do: I think I've always been able to do it: not just impersonate you, Tom, but…alter my appearance as well."

'_Meta-Morph-Magic,_' Tom whispered, a hum of thought escaping the Dark Lord as he asked, '_Harry, when you were younger, did you ever have moments of unexplained magic…specifically targeting your appearance?_'

"Well…" Harry replied, a thoughtful look crossing his own face as he added, "There was whenever Aunt Petunia massacred my head with those scissors: the next morning, my hair was fully regrown and still as wild and untameable as ever. But…what's Meta-Morph-Magic, Tom?"

'_A magical trait that allows one to control their appearance,_' Tom explained, his voice calm as he theorised about this new revelation, '_They can alter their facial, bodily and even their tone of colour in the eyes, hair and skin tones. Some used to use it for secret-agent purposes and certain Aurors in the Ministry were recruited for it. Now, as far as I know, the only remnant of the ability is through a bloodline trait that's kept with members of the Black Family._'

"So…how could _I_ have it?"

'_I don't know, Harry,_' Tom reasoned, before he laughed as he added, '_However you've done it, the fact of the matter is you've still done it: your Slytherin slyness against your elven friend and against Lucius impresses me: once again, Harry, I am proud of your devotion to my cause. Mind you, I think you may have taken it a _bit_ too far with calling me Master._'

"I'm your apprentice…"

'_Only to them, Harry,_' Tom explained, '_But to me, you're more than that…_'

"What do you mean?"

As though as he'd just realised what he'd just said, Tom coughed before he answered, '_Nothing, just forget it: anyway, onto our next topic, I believe there's a question you wish to ask me?_'

"Yes," Harry answered, "How did you know about my memories and why was it that, while I was standing with Malfoy, I felt…well, I felt stronger?"

'_That's because of me,_' Tom explained, his voice now returning to the tone of a mentor as he explained, '_When we bonded together, I reached into your consciousness and used your body to escape the Chamber, which I promise you now that I will never do again without your permission, Harry. Consider it another reward for your constant acts of loyalty to our cause: anyway, when we bonded, I found a portion of your mind that was laced with magic: some would call it a block, but this one was _more!'

"What was it?"

'_A suppressive, regression barrier,_' Tom explained, '_Parents usually put them on newborn witches and wizards to control their magical outbursts until they're old enough to know about magic. However, yours was placed by your parents and yet, despite the fact that the barrier _does_ fade away over the years, this one was still there in force and didn't seem in too much of a hurry to fade away. In other words…_'

"Someone's _sealed_ my magic?"

'_I'm afraid so,_' Tom replied, a thoughtful sensation passing over the bond between him and Harry as he added, '_And, given the reaction to your well-timed excuse for avoiding those damned lemon drops of his, I think we can both know who that someone may be._'

"Dumbledore…" growled Harry.

'_Yes._'

"Can…can it be removed?"

'_How do you think you were able to so perfectly impersonate the Dark Lord?_' sniggered Tom, his voice laced with curiosity that Harry must have missed as he added, '_After all, against _two_ empowered minds like ours in one body, not even Dumbledore stands a chance. And this, my little snake in lion's clothing, is just the beginning. I'll teach you more about the magic I've found within the seal, but, for now, you can rest comfortably knowing that I will not allow anything to weaken you._'

"Then…thank you…_again,_ Tom," Harry remarked, then aware of a feeling of shock pass over the bond between him and Tom. "What's wrong?"

'_Nothing,_' Tom replied, laughing again as he explained, '_Just still getting over the shock of your willingness to take charge of your own life and finally join me, Harry._'

"Oh," Harry nodded, before he cast the Finite charm on the door and returned to Gryffindor Tower…

_**It's My Life**_

That night, while Harry slept peacefully, Tom was wide awake, his mental sensations glancing through Harry's mind while he also tried to figure out the reason for his emotional rollercoaster ride concerning Harry Potter.

The boy _was_ nothing more than his apprentice and yet, for some crazed reason, Tom had said that he was more…and then there was the shock of how he'd actually vowed not to let anything to weaken Harry and that he was almost…_comforting_ the boy from his fears.

The last drops shock, however, came from the fact that, when Tom had bonded with Harry, something else had come with the boy:

The last thing that the Dark Lord had ever expected and, as he looked down at the sleeping form of his apprentice and his ally – his body able to sustain a semi-physical form thanks to Harry's energy and the magic of the diary – Tom heaved a sigh before he looked to the lightning-bolt scar on Harry's brow and, before he knew it, his lips formed a question:

"Just how long have you been one of my Horcruxes, Harry?"

**Chapter 2 and it seems that Tom has discovered more secrets within Harry, but will he reveal this fact to his apprentice or will he keep lying to Harry?**

**Plus, what IS the deal with the feelings of protection and support that the Dark Lord feels towards Harry?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: It's back to Privet Drive and Harry uses his new 'gift' to teach a certain trio about showing him respect: plus, Draco Malfoy contacts Harry with a request and Harry officially severs ties with the other members of the trio;**

**Please Read and Review**

**AN: Remember how I said that Harry's going to be a bit ruthless in this story? Well, it's just one of his 'masks' that he's going to save for Death Eaters and any business he has with Tom: to his allies, he's proud and a little dark-attitude and to his enemies…well, does it need to be said?**


	3. Chapter 3

It's My Life: A Harry Potter Fanfiction

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Author's Note: **Well, ladies and gents, here it is: as you asked, I found myself unable to work on any of my others and so I chose to oblige your wishes: now, a few added hints for the story: first, this will be my second attempt to write an EVENTUAL same-gender pairing, so if you find a problem with that, then don't read it.

Second, since I feel it necessary to say it, I'm once again turning on the Golden Trio and separating Harry from them: don't like it, don't read it. Finally, and this one is the big clincher here: Harry's going to be Dark, a bit ruthless and almost leader-like, especially with a few of my favourite characters – Draco, Severus, Lucius, Sirius and Remus to name but a few – so, once again, if you don't like it, don't read it. Get the hint? Anything you don't like in this story, don't read it:

**Dedications and Recommendations: **I would like to dedicate this story to EVERYONE who decided I should turn this into a full story; my recommended read for this story is _I Walk In The Shadows_ by StormyFireDragon and _Rise of the Dark Angel_ by mykkila09: both are amazing stories and have helped inspire my work on;

Eventual Harry/Tom

Other Pairings TBC

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Mind Speak_'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**Emmi: I have considered Harry's allies, though I'm also using another little idea I once had concerning Harry and Sirius, but they will be eventual allies;**

**Gracealma: But is that the reason that he wants to protect Harry and has such…protective feelings for him?**

**T4: As you may be aware, my friend, it's only the second time I've had a go at a slash story, so here's hoping it works;**

**Umikawaves: I've already stated the answer to that in the summary;**

**AceNina: Yeah, Tom's return will be fourth year…but maybe not as late in the fourth year as canon;**

**Dianadenisa: I'm going to keep his name, but there's more to Harry than you might think: a hint to that is in this chapter;**

**xxxLiveForTheFuturexxx: I appreciate your kind words: it's reviews like this that keep me going;**

**StormyFireDragon: You might enjoy this chapter then, Storm;**

"_Then…thank you…again, Tom," Harry remarked, then aware of a feeling of shock pass over the bond between him and Tom. "What's wrong?"_

'_Nothing,' Tom replied, laughing again as he explained, 'Just still getting over the shock of your willingness to take charge of your own life and finally join me, Harry.'_

"_Oh," Harry nodded, before he cast the Finite charm on the door and returned to Gryffindor Tower…_

_**It's My Life**_

"_Just how long have you been one of my Horcruxes, Harry?"_

Chapter 3: "Honey, I'm Home!"

The end of the school year couldn't come around fast enough:

Or at least that was what Harry thought to himself as he slowly walked down towards the platform at Hogsmeade Station to catch the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross Station. For the first time in two years, Harry walked down to the train alone rather than being accompanied by friends and companions: around him, people gave him long, searching glances, but said nothing as they walked past him, some of them appearing to pick up their paces as they moved towards the station.

To Harry, this wasn't too bad as he felt like he could use the silence around him and, strange as it was to think about it, _within _him as Tom seemed to be unusually quiet as of late. Whenever they talked, he seemed to be distracted and the only way he really focused on a conversation with Harry was when he was teaching him about the greater magic that Harry was yet to learn.

However, the silence around Harry was also welcome because, ever since he'd returned to Gryffindor Tower following his meeting with Dumbledore and his little talk with Lucius Malfoy, Harry had almost _never_ been alone. Hermione was around him constantly, asking him over and over again about what he'd seen and what had happened down in the Chamber while Ron had been there seemingly because he felt he _had_ to be there and, when he thought Harry wasn't paying attention, he was muttering over and over again about the unfairness of _this git_ wandering around while Ginny had been taken to St Mungo's.

Even as the beautiful sight of the Hogwarts Express came into view within Hogsmeade Station, Harry felt a smile creep across his face as he remembered the day he'd finally had enough…

_**It's My Life**_

_**6 Days Ago**_

"Another day and another boring lesson with Binns…honestly, why do we keep learning about goblins?"

"The lesson isn't just one we can give up, Ronald," Hermione insisted as the infamous Golden Trio made their way back to the Tower for their free period before Potions. "I know Professor Binns is a bit repetitive in his teachings, but…"

"A _bit?_" asked Ron, Harry doing his best to ignore the idiot's complaints as he focused on what _he'd_ learned in the lesson: with others falling asleep, Harry had pretended to be paying attention to Binns' droning lectures when, in reality, he was mentally conversing and talking with Tom. "I don't know how anyone can stay awake when he's like a stuck record or whatever it is Muggles say."

"Broken record," Harry muttered, speaking the password before he added, "And if you weren't trying to drone out the guy with your snoring, Ron, you may actually learn something."

"Like _you_ can talk," Ron scoffed, his _true side_ – as Harry had come to see the spiteful, jealous, muttering-to-himself side of the idiot – rearing its head as he added, "You actually stayed awake, but you were off in your own world too, Harry! What do you think you were doing? Turning into another Hermione?"

"I'm not _that_ bad," Harry reasoned, taking an extra step away from the other two as he added, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some homework to do."

However, as he had done ever since Harry had woken up, Ron took the Dark Lion's dismissal as an excuse to start muttering, "Can you believe him, Hermione? Still acting like he's all big and innocent when he knows what went on down there: I bet he tried to convince Lockhart to attack us so he'd get all the glory…_again._ Mr Big Shot thinking he's all that just because he's got that flaming scar: do you know he still speaks that cursed language? I hear him: Dark Wizards are the only ones that do that, not Harry, but…"

"Will you _ever_ shut your mouth, Ronald Weasley?" asked Harry, rounding on the stairs and, at the same time, silencing the Common Room as the Gryffindors looked to the Golden Trio. While Ron was silenced by Harry's reaction, the young raven-haired Gryffindor continued, "Honestly: ever since I woke up, all you do is bitch and moan because I don't recall the events of the Chamber, so I don't know why Ginny's comatose! I'd have thought you would be happy: I mean, if I'm as much of a Dark Wizard as you say I am, then how is it that I didn't order the Basilisk to _kill_ her? Or why didn't I just feed her to the thing?"

"Because you didn't want to miss the chance to be the big hero again," Ron scowled, but the silence in the Common Room told him that Harry could hear it.

"Is that how you _really_ feel?" asked Harry, approaching Ron before he stood toe-to-toe with his so-called best friend, "I never knew that you actually cared more about my reputation than the real me. Cause do you know who that makes you sound like, Weasley? I'll give you a clue: he's got blonde hair and is surrounded by two others that make _you_ look as thick as mud!"

"You're comparing me to _Malfoy?_" asked Ron, a few sniggers coming from the group while Harry just nodded.

"Damn straight," he answered, "Though even Malfoy knows how to act with subtlety and still have the brains to succeed on his own accord: you just whinge and moan because Mummy's embarrassing you in the station again or Fred and George are out to use you as their new test subject or even bloody Percy's still so successful while Ron Weasley's still the class clown: Mr Nobody; the Dead Last of Gryffindor!"

"I think you'll find that's _you,_ Potter," Ron hissed, earning an amused chuckle from Harry.

"Really?" asked Harry, stepping back before he asked, "Care to prove that?"

"You're challenging me now?"

"Points to Gryffindor, Ronniekins," Harry drawled, earning a roaring laugh from the House as Harry added, "You _finally_ got one right and didn't need Hermione to help you: bravo. Now, for extra points, get out of this: _Incarceractus!_"

A thick steel chain flew from the end of Harry's wand before, like a winding snake, it began to wrap itself around Ron's body, the idiot more concerned with how he was unable to identify the hex that Harry had used rather than trying to counter it. As the chain wound higher, Harry turned his ire on the now-silent Hermione, "Come on, Hermione: don't tell me that the _brightest witch of her age since Lily Potter_ can't identify the counter charm to this spell!"

"Reverse it, Harry," Hermione insisted, "You're being very childish in doing this to Ron."

"Oh, _I'm_ being childish," Harry laughed, "Well, excuse me oh great Queen of Gryffindor and Fountain of Knowledge who thinks that just because she reads it in a book, it _has_ to be right. But, if I'm being childish in choosing to demonstrate my true power on a Gryffindor imbecile that makes Crabbe and Goyle look smart, then what's he doing whinging and moaning that I have it all and he has nothing?"

Hermione couldn't answer as she now saw Harry's hex to have almost completely mummified Ron's body in steel chains, the raven-haired Gryffindor doing nothing to counter the spell. Instead, he looked down at Ron's flailing body as he explained, "Tell you what, Ronniekins: let's put an end to this bitching of yours…"

"Watch your language."

"Who are you, my Mother?" asked Harry, looking up at Hermione with steely-cold eyes as he laughed, "Because unless you're dead, Hermione Granger, you're nothing more than a pathetic bibliophile who'll probably wind up marrying a librarian to make sure she never knows less than she _thinks_ she does. And as for being my Mother, you're not even in her league: the only link with her that you have is that you're Muggleborn."

Hermione, shocked at Harry's icy tongue, drew her own wand before she commanded, "_E…E…Expelli…_"

"_Protego Maxima,_" Harry retorted, a shield of perfectly-forged magic appearing in front of him as he asked, "Were you about to curse me, Granger? Surely you didn't think I'd let a stupid Disarming Charm stop me? Oh, and _here's_ how it really works: _Expelliarmus!_"

Hermione's wand flew from her hand and landed on the sofa in front of the Gryffindor fireplace, the eyes of the brown-haired Muggleborn wide with shock as she asked, "Why…why are you doing this, Harry? We're…we're meant to be friends."

"Why would _I_ want anything to do with Muggles and their putrid spawn?" asked Harry, his eyes filled with new hatred as he added, "You see, Granger, as thick as he is, Weasley's right about one thing: I _do_ still speak Parseltongue and, do you know why?"

Hermione shook her head before Harry, chuckling with a cold air, answered for her, "What? Miss Know-It-All who needs to have a troll attack her to get friends doesn't know? How sad: well let _me_ answer this question for you, Granger: it's because I, Harry James Potter, _nearly_ was a Slytherin and, for the past two years, I thought that was a bad thing. But no more: now, I'm showing everyone the real me and, since you can't even undo my hex, I guess that makes _me_ the brightest wizard of our age. Just as it should be: the Pureblood Heir overpowering the Muggle…no…"

"He wouldn't…" Harry heard Fred and George whisper, both of them then seeing the shark-tooth smile on Harry's face that made them add, "He would."

"The _Mudblood_ filth of this school," Harry remarked, earning a gasp from several of the students as he turned and faced them, "Got a problem with that? Get counselling…because this time, I do everything not for _Lily and James' _sake, but for _mine!_ It took me going down into the Chamber to realise it, but now, I see that this life is _mine_ and it's _my destiny…_and it _will_ obey me! Don't like it: tough Tentaculas!"

With that, Harry turned and walked to the stairs leading to the dorms, before he stopped and, facing the group of stunned Lions, he then added, "In case you didn't get the hint, the Boy-Who-Lived or whatever bullshit you come up with next _died_ in the Chamber: now, the new, _real_ Harry Potter is here to stay…which also means that the Golden Trio is _dead_!"

Then, while the Gryffindors looked to the remnants of the Trio that both watched with shocked faces, Harry Potter vanished up the stairs…

_**It's My Life**_

_**Present Day**_

'It may have been a bit cold, but what else was I supposed to do?'

Harry smirked to himself as he repeated the thought that had gone through his mind on that very night while he lay awake, listening to Ron's snores and the mutters of sleeplessness that came from Neville, Dean and Seamus. How they managed to sleep through all that racket every night was beyond him.

It wasn't really a question of what else was he supposed to do now: with a little help from Tom, Harry had realised that he'd done the right thing, but not only in showing them his true self, but officially severing the ties between them.

And, on another point, he'd been partially right: the old Harry Potter _had_ died down in the Chamber and the new and reborn Golden Prince of Gryffindor had taken his place. Perhaps this had been why he'd gone to see McGonagall to change his Divination elective to something more appropriate for his learning, like Ancient Runes. As Tom had informed him, Ancient Runes was part of the way along to learning how to craft, enhance and improve one's spell power, a task that he said he'd have Harry perform only _after_ the Dark Lord had regained a body.

For now, the learning continued and Harry was glad to finally have the chance to learn more about his power: it was thanks to such teachings from his mentor and, as Harry had started to think of Tom, his _friend_ that Harry had cast the Mummification Hex on Weasley and the Great Shield Charm against Granger.

Now, he was starting to see his own true power and he wasn't about to let it change for anyone.

As Harry approached the Hogwarts Express, a sigh escaped the young wizard as he opened the door to his chosen compartment and, stepping up, he turned back before he opened his mind and asked, '_Feel like talking to me now, Tom?_'

'_I'm always ready to talk with you, Harry,_' Tom answered, the emotion in his voice edged by a feeling of curiosity as it always was, but Harry felt like he'd grown used to it by now as he listened to Tom, '_I apologise for blocking you out as of late, but I needed time to gather my necessary energy reserves to do what we can over the summer._'

'_Grow stronger._'

'_Amongst other things._'

'_I agree,_' Harry mused, staring up at Hogwarts as he added, '_When September comes around again, it'll be a new and fully reborn Harry that walks through those doors: but I feel we've got a long way to go before that happens._'

'_Longer than you might think, Harry,_' Tom chuckled, Harry now sitting down inside his compartment where the Dark Lord then asked, '_Have you checked your spell power with the other language yet?_'

'_The charms you taught me are holding,_' Harry replied, patting the pocket of his robe as he added, '_Thanks to you telling me the hidden secret of Parselmagic, I know I can control this magic perhaps even better than I control my own._'

'_Speakers usually do,_' Tom agreed, his voice hinting at more to come before he asked, '_Would you like me to come out and join you on the journey back?_'

'_We can't risk anyone seeing you can do this yet,_' Harry remarked, '_You rest for now, Tom…and by the way, I have to ask: have I thanked you yet?_'

'_Depends on what you're thanking me for._'

'_You have the ability to come out and be semi-corporeal for a time,_' Harry explained, his voice calm despite the shock he'd felt when Tom had first revealed this to him. '_But when you regain your energy through our bond, you don't leave me as tired and sluggish as you did with Ginny: if anything, you make me stronger because of it._'

'_Mere coincidence,_' Tom laughed, before he added, '_But I wouldn't want my apprentice to be weakened and unable to complete his education, would I?_'

'_Guess not,_' Harry agreed, settling down before he glanced out of the window and, staring up at Hogwarts as the rest of the student body made their way towards the train, Harry then asked, '_Do you think Lucius has spoken with his son yet?_'

'_I would think so, Harry,_' Tom replied, Harry then feeling a tingling sensation running across his mind: as a small panic rose inside him, Tom continued, '_Don't worry, it's not possession or Legilimency: I'm just passing a location into your mind for Lucius' home. Since he now knows that you are my apprentice _and_ my temporary energy host, he won't argue or question you turning up unexpectedly at his home. I know we _have_ to return to those ghastly Muggles, but if you ever want somewhere to practice magic or even openly speak with me without disturbance, I highly doubt that Lucius won't open his doors to you._'

'_So let's hope he _does_ speak to…_' Harry began, before his final thought was cut off by the door to his compartment opening from the inside of the train and, to his surprise, the object of his thoughts appeared on the other side.

Draco Malfoy, dressed in a suitable set of clothes that wouldn't look out of place in the Muggle world, stood in the doorway, his eyes on Harry for a long and awkward moment before he asked, "As strange as this is going to sound, Potter: may I join you on the journey back?"

"Certainly, Malfoy," Harry replied curtly, smirking as he added, "Despite your insistence to do so in Diagon Alley, I think we should keep our school rivalry _at school_, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," Draco replied, stepping into the compartment and, slipping his trunk under the seats opposite Harry while his Eagle Owl, whom Harry would later learn to be named Erebus, was released from his cage and sent on his way, he sat down opposite Harry before he drew his wand and, pointing it at the doors and windows of the compartment, he whispered, "_Muffilato Totalum…Aurfactus Negira…_"

'_Seems like you're not the only one who knows advanced magic,_' Tom reasoned, Harry watching the wand motions and memorising the spells as Tom added, '_They're the Anti-Intrusion Ward for the second and the Perception Filtration Charm for the first: two very high-level charms indeed: NEWT level, I'd say._'

With a hum of agreement, Harry asked, "What's with the security measures, Malfoy?"

"Just so you know," Draco answered, before he looked across to Harry as he added, "I've been watching you…and waiting for the right moment."

"The…right moment?"

"Yes," Draco answered, placing his wand on the seat next to him before he rose and, looking Harry in the eyes, Draco dropped down to one knee just as his Father had done, his head bowed before Harry – a pose that Harry had never thought he'd ever see from the Malfoy Heir – as he spoke again, "The right moment to greet you for who you really are…my Young Lord: tell me…how may I serve you?"

"Your Father told you, then?" asked Harry, stating the bleeding obvious, but the amusement of the moment wasn't lost on him either.

"Yes, Young Master," Draco answered, the words actually bringing a smile to Harry's face.

However, despite how he'd treated Lucius, Harry just had two words for Draco, "Get up."

Rising from his kneeled position, Draco sat back down before he looked Harry in the eyes as he asked, "Can…can _He_ hear us?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, smirking as he added, "From now on, Malfoy, _you_ don't kneel before me: you see, there's a reason I used my well-planned impersonation of the Dark Lord to scare your Father into sending you to me."

"There…there is?" asked Draco, the cold smile on Harry's face actually frightening him as he asked, "What was it?"

"Well," Harry answered, folding his arms in a posture that actually made him look more noble than whenever Draco had seen him before: with that cold grin on his face, Harry continued, "As I told another…advocate of mine, I'm not lying with anything here: only the Dark Lord's abandoned followers will see the true dark nature of me. As for you and others that we can bring into the fold, Draco, you'll be…supporters and allies: friends, even."

"How's that meant to work?" asked Draco, dropping the title of Master for Harry as he asked, "You're still a Gryffindor, Potter…"

"Draco…" groaned Harry, shaking his head as he asked, "If I can use your name, is it really so hard that you can't use mine?"

"But…" Draco nodded to Harry as he asked with a note of fear, "What…what about…"

"The Dark Lord?" asked Harry, earning another nod from Draco, this time in agreement; with a shrug, Harry continued, "He may be a part of me, Draco, but that doesn't mean I want those I choose to stand with me to fear me. That's why I made sure that the first person on that list was you: you see, Draco, I need your help."

"Considering who your mentor is," Draco reasoned, now looking more curious than frightened as he asked, "What would you want _my_ help with?"

"I'm going to show people the real Harry Potter," Harry explained, relaxing his posture slightly as he addressed Draco, "I've already shown that I'm stronger and smarter than they think I am, but that's not all: I also want to show them that the real Harry Potter doesn't give a shit about his so-called reputation or title. That this Harry can't be pushed around because he's a leader and, like a certain Slytherin I know, he's also the leader of the pack: he says jump, they ask how high…you get where I'm going with this?"

"Given that I think the Slytherin you're referring to is me," Draco answered, nodding in agreement, "I think I do: you want to show them not the Gryffindor side that they _continuously_ refer to your parents when they see it, but the Slytherin side you _want_ to embrace."

"Yes."

"But how can you show a Slytherin side when you're a Gryffindor?"

"I was _nearly_ a Slytherin," Harry explained, sniffing once as he told Draco, "I'm not saying it's actually your fault, Draco, but, you see, for a long while now, I've had to pretend to be someone I'm not in the magical world while being hated and despised even worse than your Head of House could manage in the Muggle one. When I went to Hogwarts, I thought I'd have to hide my fear and my determination behind this…Gryffindor's Hero façade and pretend to be fun-loving and supportive of good. Because, if people saw the _real_ me…a bit like the Gryffindors have done by now…then…"

"Then you'd face the same pain and hatred in the magical world like you do in the Muggle one."

"Got it in one."

"So…why hide?" asked Draco, shaking his head as he asked, "If you're hated in the Muggle world, then surviving the magical one would be a walk in the park, wouldn't it?"

"I hide because I _have_ to," Harry remarked, "I've seen what happens when people see those better than themselves, but, thanks to the Dark Lord, my eyes have been opened and I finally see I don't have to hide: it's my life and I'll live it how I choose. But, if I'm going to completely destroy my past self…then _that's_ where I need your help."

"What do you need?" asked Draco, surprising Harry with his willingness, but Draco waved off the curiosity as he explained, "Father told me that I was to do whatever was necessary to help you, Harry: I have to admit that I always wondered about you and, had you accepted your true self's destiny, then I'd have helped you there as well…even with Severus."

"Oh…don't worry about him," Harry chuckled, the sound making the hairs on Draco's neck stand on end, "I have a plan to deal with Severus Snape, but first, I need to remake myself: so, can you help?"

"What do you need?" repeated Draco.

"I need to shut out my emotions," Harry explained, "Stop being the hero and start being the…well; I suppose the appropriate term would be anti-hero: I _want_ to learn like a Slytherin and show them that I'm _not_ Lily or James reincarnate, but I'm me. Most of all, Draco, I want to show them how I _am_ the Golden Prince and that I won't take any crap from anyone…a bit like you do, oh noble Silver Prince of Slytherin."

"Well," Draco reasoned, rubbing the back of his neck as he laughed, "It'll be a difficult task, Harry…but, if you're willing to do this, then what choice do I have? I'll help you…on one condition."

"You're trying to make a deal with the Dark Lord's apprentice?" laughed Harry.

"Yeah," Draco answered, then extending his hand as he asked, "With or without him…I'd like to rekindle our estranged relationship…if you'll accept it this time?"

With a smile, Harry took the hand before he explained, "If you help me, Draco, I can have a word with…with the Dark Lord and make sure that, when he comes back, you're still unmarked: one of mine, if you like."

"Your first," Draco reasoned, earning a nod from Harry, "And your most loyal."

'_Like Father, like Son,_' Tom laughed, but Harry showed no reaction as the duo turned their attention to the ride back to King's Cross…

_**It's My Life**_

By the time that they reached King's Cross Station, Harry and Draco had all but completely forgotten their past hatred for one another and, as they departed, Harry now – to his regret – dressed in Dudley's hand-me-downs, Draco shook his head before he told him, "Word of advice, Harry: if you're really serious about being one of us, then you might want to invest in a new wardrobe."

"On the list of plans I've made for the summer, it's at the top," Harry replied, before his happiness turned sour as he saw a cross Mrs Weasley waiting for her endless rabbit's warren of children. With a groan, Harry asked, "Draco, think we can get around her before she starts yelling the station down?"

"Easily," Draco laughed, nudging Harry with his shoulder as he added, "Follow my lead and do as I do."

With a look of curiosity, Harry watched as Draco walked with strength and pride in his step as he wandered past Mrs Weasley, though a laugh escaped Harry when he saw the Malfoy Heir turn his nose away from the Weasleys. As he followed Draco's lead, Harry thought about the brood and, try as he might, a part of him realised that he couldn't actually hate the family as a whole.

Sure, Ron was an idiot that _seriously _needed to learn his lesson before he did something that he'd regret and force Harry's hand while Percy the Preening Parrot-brained Prat was a brown-nose with his head so far up the ass of authority that it was hard to tell where they ended and he began and, as for Ginny – though comatose – she was a mad stalker of a girl who had no idea of the world she lived in. But, despite all this, Harry still found those that he didn't really have it in him to hate: the Twins for two and, to be perfectly honest, he didn't know enough about Bill and Charlie to really judge them.

The Twins, with their resources and their creative instincts, were actually two that Harry silently considered as moving to his side: if only he could find that one chink in their armour that would make them his obedient and loyal warriors.

As for Bill and Charlie…well, time would tell.

Walking past Mrs Weasley, whom he now considered to be little more than an overbearing maternal instinctive witch that thought the best way to take charge was crushing kids against her breasts and mothering them to the point they were sick, Harry just sniffed once before he moved towards the barrier.

Just as he reached the barrier, Harry was stopped by a firm hand followed by a familiar banshee-like voice that hissed, "And just where do you think _you're_ going, Harry Potter?"

"Kindly take your hand off me, Madam," Harry replied calmly, turning to face Mrs Weasley as he added, "I don't allow _anyone_ to touch me like this, especially not _you!_ As for where I'm going, it's this _lovely_ place called home with the _greatest_ relatives I could imagine…" He drawled out each word before he added icily, "I'm being sarcastic, by the way…but the point still stands."

"You're not going there just yet, Harry-dear," Molly insisted, her words cutting into Harry as much as her idiot son's had done, though her next words made it worse as she asked, "Would you mind explaining why you attacked my son in front of Gryffindor Tower unprovoked?"

"I _won't_ answer that," Harry replied, "Because the attack was _perfectly_ justified: perhaps you should teach your son not to be so snappish about those who have more in the monetary sense and less in the familial sense. Now, I'll ask you once more: let…me…_go._"

On his last word, Harry's magic seemed to flare up and, as he looked to Mrs Weasley, Harry tried not to smile as he saw the woman pull her hand away with a cry, the flesh of her hand now burned on her palm. While she glared at him in horror and shock, Harry then hissed, "Touch me again and you may find out what happened to Professor Quirrell: oh, and Lord Weasley?"

"Yes, Mr Potter?" asked Arthur, being as civil as possible as he saw the untapped magic of the young wizard.

"I hope Ginny recovers soon," Harry replied, crossing his fingers behind his back as he turned and passed through the barrier. On the other side, Harry was surprised to find Lucius and Draco waiting with a rather attractive young woman with dark hair that had a streak of white the same colour as her husband. She was dressed in a rather stylish dark gown and, as she saw Harry, the woman gave him a curt nod while Draco approached and helped Harry away from the barrier.

"What happened back there?" asked Draco.

"Unforeseen confrontations were arisen, dealt with and moved on," Harry answered, brushing his clothes down as best as he could before he asked, "Lord Malfoy and I can only assume Lady Malfoy: why were you waiting for me?"

"To present you with an open invitation to our home in Wiltshire, Mr Potter," Lucius replied, his voice low as he added, "For _any_ reason whatsoever: simply use the Floo or call on your…elf and you'll be brought straight to Malfoy Manor. If I may make a request?"

"Of course," Harry replied, aware of Tom's concern with Malfoy's choice of words.

"If I may take a small amount of your blood," Lucius explained, holding a small ampoule like one that was used by a Potions Master, "To key you into our wards for an easier act of transport."

"Of course," Harry nodded, holding out his arm and, as he looked around to make sure they weren't watching, Lucius used his wand and a spell that Harry was sure he'd never heard before to withdraw the blood and place it into the ampoule. Pocketing the item, Lucius thanked Harry before he turned and led his family away, leaving Harry to mutter, "Is it my imagination, Tom, or do you think there's something else at work here?"

'_I thought that too,_' Tom replied, his voice laced with the same curiosity as before as he explained, '_Lucius would know that my magic is now a part of you and therefore wouldn't require you to need to give blood to access the wards. I don't wish to doubt my most faithful of followers, but I do suspect that he's up to something._'

'_If he tries anything to endanger me,_' Harry retorted, his words edged by a magical fury as he asked, '_Do I have your permission, my Lord and Mentor, to teach him the error of his ways?_'

'_As much as you feel necessary, my young apprentice,_' Tom laughed, before Harry wandered over to where Uncle Vernon was waiting.

'_Showtime._'

"Good afternoon, Uncle," Harry remarked, putting on his best air as he laughed, "Thank you for waiting for me: shall we get a move on?"

"Who do you think you are to order me around, boy?" hissed Vernon as Harry walked to the car, which looked like another _bonus_ on Vernon's part from work as it seemed to be the newest model. "And where are your…_things?_"

"Oh, I shrunk them down," Harry replied, slipping into the car while he smirked as he added, "Much easier that way: anyway, I'm sure there's no other reason for us to be here…so…shall we?"

Vernon just grumbled as he put the car into ignition and pulled away from King's Cross, his piggy eyes filled with a rage as he heard the mocking tone of his nephew. He'd just have to teach him a lesson that he would never forget…

_**It's My Life**_

When the car pulled into Number Four's driveway, Harry climbed out with ease and, as he reached the door, he pushed it open before taking a deep breath as he announced, "Hi Honey, I'm home!"

"And just what time do you call this, you little monster?" demanded Aunt Petunia, Harry then making an effort to check a nearby clock while he also smirked at the idiocy of his relatives for not sensing the danger that they were putting themselves in with their attitude towards him.

"I'd say 6:13pm," Harry reasoned, looking to the living room where Dudley was already wolfing down more chocolate than any normal kid should have, "Just in time for my favourite shows."

"And who says you're going to watch anything, freak?" asked Dudley, Harry then smirking before he stepped aside _just_ as Vernon's large fist would have collided with the back of his head.

"Erm…I think I do," Harry replied, opening the bond before he asked, '_Since I can't use my wand, do you mind if I have a little fun, Tom?_'

'_Don't let me stop you,_' Tom laughed, Harry's body then being flooded with new information and strength: suddenly, he understood what Tom had meant by the block that had been around his magical core. Now that it was released thanks to the Dark Lord's bond with him, Harry was free to use his magic – so long as he used willpower and _not_ a wand – to his heart's content.

"Who do you think you are, freak?" demanded Vernon, his words cut off when Harry turned and, with a snap of his fingers – which was more for emphasis since he directed his magic to his target mentally – he shut the door. With wide eyes, Vernon gasped, "Y-Y-Y-You're not s-s-supposed to be able t-t-t-to do that…"

"D-D-D-Do you think I-I-I-I-I c-c-c-c-care?" mocked Harry, shaking his head as he laughed, "You know what you are, Vernon Dursley? Compared to me, you're little more than a large, bulbous spot on my life that I'd just _love_ to burst, but, before I do, I'm afraid I actually have uses for you."

"Don't speak to your uncle like that!" Petunia snarled, but Harry cut her off with another snap of his fingers and, this time, the chocolate that Dudley was scoffing gluttonously was suddenly showering both the horse and the baby whale in crumbs and chocolate pieces, turning Petunia's _classy white sofa_ into a nasty shade of brown.

"Don't you get it, Muggle?" asked Harry, now turning on Petunia while he also kept Vernon within sight, "You don't rule my life anymore: for years now, I've feared you, but no more! Now, you will learn to respect me and treat me like your family…though it's clear I'm from the _better_ side of the family: the one with _MAGIC!_"

"DON'T MENTION THAT FREAKISH STUFF IN…" Vernon began, but, as soon as he'd started shouting, Harry had snapped his fingers again and, with more fun on his mind, the young wizard had watched as Vernon's large frame was somehow suddenly sucked down into the ground before he was thrown into the cupboard under the stairs, the latch on the door clicking to a _firmly_ locked position.

"There," Harry sighed, "Just where a _thing_ like him deserves to be. Now, since you've got quite a job in cleaning up here, I'm just going to go to my room and sleep off this excitement. Oh, and don't disturb me: I promise you that it won't be pretty if you do."

Petunia and Dudley were left frozen in shock and fear as Harry turned on his heel and walked up the stairs, taking an effort to stomp as hard as he could over Vernon's head as he did so.

"Not so nice _now_, is it, Vernon?" he laughed as he moved off towards his room, his eyes shining brightly with the magic that he now had at his command.

And every bit of it was thanks to Tom Riddle…

_**It's My Life**_

Deep inside Harry's consciousness, as he watched the fun unfold, Tom sensed Harry's gratefulness and, for the first time ever, a smile of warmth crossed the spectral form's face as he whispered, "Oh, Harry: you have _no_ idea of the true power you will have…but you will…soon."

Then, delving deep into Harry's core, Tom looked upon the magical source that was his Horcrux and, with narrowed eyes, he couldn't help but ask himself, "How do I get you out of Harry without damaging his core, his power…or Harry himself?"

'Wait a minute,' he then added in thought, his eyes wide with shock as he asked, 'Why do I care about him? Argh…Harry: what have you done to me to make me feel so…_protective_ with you?'

**Chapter 3 and Tom feels more of his protectiveness to Harry, but what is the secret of it all?**

**Also, was there a reason for Lucius wanting Harry's blood **_**other**_** than to key him into the wards?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: A hated relative comes to Number Four, but Harry's not so gullible or weak this time: plus, correspondence with Draco reveals a few secrets to Harry and it's off to Diagon for Harry's new look, but why is Tom so quiet lately?**

**Please Read and Review**

**AN: Well, I guess it's obvious now: Tom **_**is**_** drawn to Harry and it's changing him: mostly cause of the similarities to them, but the official 'relationship' won't be for a while: a key moment to come will be affected by this bond between the two; also, to explain Harry's magic further: when Tom bonded with him, he didn't just slowly break the seal, he completely removed it from Harry's core, so Harry's magical level is rather high – like he's gone through a magical maturity;**

**OC SPELLS:**

_**Incarceractus: **_**The Mummification Hex: Binds an opponent in a wrapping from head to foot: stronger magical focus can change classic wrappings into steel/thorns/metals etc;**

_**Muffilato Totalum: **_**The Perception Filtration Charm: Keeps a location hidden as though its little more than something in the corner of the eye;**

_**Aurfactus Negira: **_**The Anti-Intrusion Ward: Stops all forms of intrusion within a selected environment;**


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